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Adam Tooze: How Nike Made a Killing on Basketball Shoes

A branding deal with Michael Jordan in the 1980s has made billions of dollars for the company.

By , a deputy editor at Foreign Policy.
The Air Ship, MJ Player Exclusive, Game-Worn Sneaker Nike, 1984, on display during a press preview at Christie's New York.
The Air Ship, MJ Player Exclusive, Game-Worn Sneaker Nike, 1984, on display during a press preview at Christie's New York.
The Air Ship, MJ Player Exclusive, Game-Worn Sneaker Nike, 1984, on display during a press preview at Christie's New York on July 24, 2020. TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images

Nike Inc. has made billions of dollars from its branding deal with basketball star Michael Jordan. At the core of that deal is the shoe known as Nike Air, iterations of which Jordan wore during his many seasons with the Chicago Bulls. The shoe is so coveted, it often fetches many times its sticker price on the resale market. (The story of how Nike clinched the deal with Jordan is told in the new movie Air, starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.)

Cameron Abadi is a deputy editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @CameronAbadi

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